The Day The World Changed
Monday 11th September see's the 5th Anniversary of the attack on the World Trade centre in New York. Probably the most horrific terrorist attack in history, it had the world glued to their TV sets, and affected the lives of millions of people. It also signaled the beginning of the long overdue War on Terrorism.
But the question is are we any further ahead now than we were 5 years ago? Are we actually winning the "War on Terrorism", or has the last 5 years just been a tragic loss of human lives for the sake of nothing?
On September 11th 2001, a number of planes took off on a regular flight, carrying with them passengers that had no idea what was in store for them.
Here is the timeline of just what happened;
7:58 a.m. - United Airlines Flight 175 departs Boston for Los Angeles,
carrying 56 passengers, two pilots, and seven flight attendants. The
Boeing 767 is hijacked after takeoff and diverted to New York.
7:59 a.m. - American Airlines Flight 11 departs Boston for Los
Angeles, carrying 81 passengers, two pilots, and nine flight
attendants. This Boeing 767 is also hijacked and diverted to New York.
8:01 a.m. - United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 carrying 38
passengers, two pilots, and five flight attendants, leaves Newark, N.J.,
for San Francisco.
8:10 a.m. - American Airlines Flight 77 departs Washington's
Dulles International Airport for Los Angeles, carrying 58 passengers,
two pilots, and four flight attendants. The Boeing 757 is hijacked
after takeoff.
8:46 a.m. - American Flight 11 from Boston crashes into the North
Tower at the World Trade Center.
9:03 a.m. - United Flight 175 from Boston crashes into the South
Tower at the World Trade Center.
- U.S. Federal Aviation Administration shuts down all New
York area airports.
9:21 a.m. - Bridges and tunnels leading into New York City
are closed.
9:25 a.m. - All domestic flights are grounded by U.S. Federal
Aviation Administration.
9:45 a.m. - American Flight 77 crashes into The Pentagon.
10:05 a.m. - The South Tower at the World Trade Center collapses.10:05 a.m. - The White House is evacuated.
10:10 a.m. - A large section of one side of The Pentagon collapses.
10:10 a.m. - United Flight 93 crashes in a wooded area in
Pennsylvania, after passengers confront hijackers.
10:28 a.m. - The North Tower at the World Trade Center collapses.
In the space of just over 2 hours nearly 2500 people had lost their lives. It was an event that was to see in the following 5 years, the invasion of Afghanistan and the removal of the Taliban, the invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein, and even more countless deaths.
But has the Terrorism stopped? Have the attacks stopped?
No of course not, in some respects they have intensified, the West still have soldiers dyeing in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have had attacks on the Tube here in the UK, and have stopped a potentially worse terrorist attack than that of 9/11.
But probably the worst thing of all is that the number of civilian deaths is by far higher than it was BEFORE the War on Terror began. Granted the west has rid the world of dreadful regimes but it has only succeeded in ruining lives for people, particularly in Iraq. The Middle East historically has had so many problems that we in the West cannot begin to understand, and is now a daily source of news for suicide bombers and attacks on troops as well as Muslims attacking Muslims, Iraqis attacking Iraqis. It saddens me to see all the death and destruction there, and to what aim? What is it all about? What is it going to change?
Well today, I heard on the radio that there is an increasing number of Muslims who are starting to voice their displeasure, not of the West but of the very Terrorist group that was formed to aledgedly fight their cause. Muslims are on the whole a peaceful people, and the teachings of Islam are based on peace. They hate what Al-Qaeda are doing in the name of Islam, and I would think a great many are ashamed of the celebrating they did after the attacks of 9/11. That is a beginning, the only way we will win the War on Terror, is for the people the Terrorists supposedly represent to rise up and speak out against them, to counter the fanatical fundamentalists that spout hatred in the mosques, and to once again show that they are truly a peaceful religion by defending the west rather than constantly verbally attacking it.
Are we winning the War on Terror? No we are not, not yet, but we are slowly getting there, sadly it is going to take time, and the tragic avoidable deaths of thousands.
3 comments:
No, we are not winning the war of terror. I don't believe anyone can win a war on terror. The very statement alone sounds silly. I feel that we are sacrificing innocent lives for nothing. Soldiers, etc., are fighting in a no-win situation. My son is 21 years old. He is now in his second year in the U. S. Army. The last time we talked, he told me his battalion is preparing to go to Iraq. To date, no orders have been received but they are training heavily. I am concerned. Very concerned. I do not want him to go. I don't want anyone to go to war or to a war-torn environment. I know I am not the only one who feels this way and, maybe, I am being selfish. I just want peace. Is that so much to ask for?
No it is not too much to ask, and I fully agree with you. A lot of what is going on in Iraq is to do with oil. If the region had no natural resourses, would Bush have bothered with it??
I think he has used The War on Terror as an excuse to try to control the oil.
I agree totally with the anonymous person ! Yes something has changed : It became worse ! Bush used his power for his personal family interests and cheated (I woul rather start this word with shi) the whole world. I really cannot understand how the american population could believe all these stupid arguments and voted for him even a second time ! How was that possible?? It's time he goes back to his ranch and disappears he is a dangerous man (people with a little IQ often are dangerous) and he killed so many people with his ideas of "freedom" and whatever ! Before that historical date of 9/11 it was more peaceful everywhere, I think he just used everybody to hide his personal revenge feelings with the Bin Laden family as they used to be friends !
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